Tending to confirm rumours of poor trading which have been circulating for some time, Gordon Ramsay’s gastropub The Devonshire W4 is for sale, reports the Morning Advertiser (via Hounslow Guardian).
The Devonshire is one of number of Ramsay’s gastropubs particularly criticised in Harden’ London Restaurants 2009. At the time of publication, the criticisms were dismissed by Ramsay as “inevitably negative spin”. They even inspired a publisher of a competing guide to accuse Harden’s of being “full of shit”.
Or maybe they were just accurate?
PS (22 January) Catersearch reports that Gordon Ramsay holdings has stated that “The Devonshire is not for sale and is trading as normal”, its appearance on a properly sale website being attributed to “an administrative error”.
Catersearch notes that the mistake comes “as GRH’s finances are once again under close scrutiny”. Last year, the company was fined £1500 for filing its 2006 accounts 16 months late, and its 2007 accounts are also now overdue.
Last year, Harden’s was twice misinformed by GRH as to when its 2006 accounts would be filed. Those accounts, when finally filed in late-October, contained the unusual statement that “the 2007 results, which will be filed in December 2008, will show a continued and dramatic strengthening of the group” (emphasis added).
It’s disappointing that, yet again, GRH’s statements as to its future conduct – even when made in a public document required by law – have turned out to be worthless.
PS (23 January) We see that, according to Metro, a GRH spokesman has said that “the accounts will be filed by the end of the month”. Hmm. Where have we heard that before?
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